Alfred Baird is Professor of Maritime Transport, and Head of the Maritime Research Group at Edinburgh Napier University’s Transport Research Institute (TRI), a position he has held since 1998. Before embarking on an academic career, he worked for the Leith liner shipping company George Gibson/Currie Line, followed by a position as Shipping/Transport Manager in TK Valve Ltd, a manufacturing company. His doctoral research undertaken in collaboration with Sea-Land Service Inc. investigated the subject of strategic management in the global container shipping industry, thereby giving him an insight into the complex decision making processes of senior management and investors in the intermodal shipping and transport industry. Professor Baird also has an honours degree in Business Studies and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport.

Research Interests

Professor Baird has researched, published and taught in a number of areas in the maritime transport field, covering issues such as port competition and privatization, strategic management in shipping and transport, market analysis in the shipping and ports industry, ship cost modelling, and assessing the feasibility of new shipping transport services/routes and associated port developments. His clients in over sixty funded research projects have included ports, shipping lines, other transport firms, enterprise agencies, local and central government, and the European Commission.

Professional Activities/Achievements

Professor Baird was appointed as Specialist Adviser to a UK Parliament Select Committee (1997-98 Scottish Affairs Committee Inquiry into withdrawal of Tariff Rebate Subsidy on Northern Isles freight). In 2000, Professor Baird was appointed Specialist Advisor to the Regional Development Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly on the subject of proposed privatization of Belfast Port. In 2007/8 he was appointed as Specialist Advisor to the Isle of Man Parliament’s (Tynwald) Select Committee for its inquiry into the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Ltd. He has also been appointed Technical Adviser to various Scottish public sector agencies in assessing and selecting shipping services and in promoting seaport developments (e.g. Scottish Enterprise in respect of the Rosyth-Zeebrugge freight and passenger ferry service, Fife Council in respect of cross-Forth ferry services, Orkney Islands Council in respect of Scapa Flow Container Terminal, Clydeport/North Ayrshire Council in respect of Hunterston Container Terminal and Clyde ferry services, and Shetland Development Trust in respect of proposed new ferry services). Between 2002-2005 Professor Baird managed on behalf of Highlands & Islands Enterprise and H&I local authorities and ports the EC Interreg Northern Maritime Corridor (NMC) project. The NMC project researched and promoted improvements to shipping services in the H&I and other Northern Maritime Corridor areas (e.g. Iceland, Norway, Russia etc.), in which he was also appointed transnational manager for short sea shipping actions. In 2005 Professor Baird was appointed a Member of the Irish Government’s (Irish Marine Institute) Foresight Panel on Shipping & Transport Strategy.

Professor Baird has acted as External Examiner for BSc Shipping courses at London Metropolitan University, at Athens Business College, and is currently External Examiner for maritime courses at Southampton Solent University. He is a Member of the Editorial Committee of the International Journal of Maritime Economics, and the Journal of Maritime Research, a Council Member of the International Association of Maritime Economists, a Board Member of Edinburgh Napier University Transport Research Institute, and a director of Scottish Shipping Initiative Limited (SSI), a company devoted to expanding the shipping and ports industry in Scotland. He was until recently a Committee Member of the Scottish Transport Studies Group (and a former Treasurer), and a Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Association of City Ports.

Memberships and Advisory Posts

Current and Recent Research Projects

Scottish Ferries Review, funded by the Scottish Government, January 2009 to January 2010 (with Gordon Wilmsmeier and Professor Kevin Cullinane).
Website: Scottish Ferries Review

Dryport, funded by the EU Interreg IVB North Sea Programme, September 2008 to September 2011 (with Gordon Wilmsmeier and Professor Kevin Cullinane).


NMU - Northern Maritime University, funded by the EU Interreg IVB North Sea Programme, May 2008 to April 2010 (with Gordon Wilmsmeier and Professor Kevin Cullinane).


STRATMOS: Strategic Motorway of the Sea Demonstration Project, funded by the EU Interreg IVB North Sea Programme, 2008 to 2011.


Clyde Waterbus, funded by Glasgow City Council (with Gordon Wilmsmeier).

IMEC (International Marine Environment Certificate), aimed at developing a certificate documenting personal environmental skills in marine and maritime issues.
Website: http://www.imec.no/index.php?page_id=1

Current Teaching

BSc Transport Management (Edinburgh Napier University)
Maritime Economics; Strategic Management in Shipping

MSc Logistics + Supply Chain Management (at Heriot-Watt University)
Strategy and Trends in Shipping; Seaport development and port policy

MSc Transport & Logistics (at Molde University, Norway)
Strategy and Trends in Shipping; port policy; marine motorways/modal shift